Mark of the Scarecrow
by JudeDeluca
Summary: Get Well Soon sequel. Garth and Dawny are doing their physical therapy at an old farm owned by Garth's uncle. Fixing the place for exercice, sparks start to light. And the wind whispers as someone watches and a scarecrow keeps vigil. Lightning Star.
1. The Wind Whispers

Disclaimer: I do not own Legion of Super-Heroes

The sequel to Get Well Soon. Features Lightning Lad, Dawnstar, Kent Shakespeare, Ivy, and maybe some others. Another horror/humor/romance story. In adherence to my New Year's Resolution, I'll post chapters at my own pace. Try to get some other stuff done. Enjoy.

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**Prologue**

**The Wind Whispers**

The wind blew through the fields. The sun was starting to set. The sky had gone from azure to golden orange.

The fields went out for as far as the eye could go.

The Ol' Ranzz place stood empty and alone. Owner died years ago. It was in bad need of repairs. Weeds. Paint peeling. Rats. Farming equipment rusting.

Place was ancient. Guy still used DVDs.

But the corn. Oh boy, that sure did look good for a summer feast. A wonderful harvest.

Inside the old red barn, a pitchfork sunk into a pile of hay, and tossed it up on the higher level.

The hay and straw stunk so badly. They needed to change it, or throw it out, or do whatever it is you're supposed to do with bad hay.

The worker did the same, again, and stuck the pitchfork in and shoveled up more hay.

It would be getting dark soon. Need to get the work done. Need to finish up. He was strong, I'll give you that.

Sunk the pitchfork in again.

SHUNK.

A different noise this time. It caught onto something.

Bright red and smelling of copper and vinegar. It leaked from the bottom of the hay.

Pretty strong indeed, to pierce human bone and tear through flesh.

A nice, wet sound was heard as skin tore, as the body got tossed up there. It hit the floor with a THUMP. Eyes rolled back in the head, or, if the eyes were still there. Hard to say if that was the first place they went to, or if the vermin got to it. Hard to say how long it was there. Maybe a few minutes, a few weeks, a few months.

Just went right on pitching that hay. Store it for later. Figure out what to do. Can't have blood staining the floor. Place is enough of a mess. No we can't have that.

And somewhere, a crow cawed as the sky turned dark and the moon rose.

CAW!


	2. Moving On Out

Disclaimer: I do not own Legion

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Dawnstar rummaged through her drawers, putting together what she was bringing with her. She wasn't in her uniform. She hadn't put it on at all since she woke up. Only jeans and a yellow t-shirt bearing her symbol, that white, eight-pointed star. And her Legion flight ring. The funny thing, she never used that thing to fly. She never did. And never will.

KNOCK-KNOCK.

"Need any help?"

She turned to the doorway. There stood Wildfire. In his red containment suit.

"No, I'm good. Thanks." She replied. He stepped in.

"You look good. Look better." Wildfire complemented.

"I'm still not healed though." Dawny explained as she started folding her clothes. Her wings still felt as strange and awkward as when she awoke. It was so wrong. They didn't feel like this when she was little. But those were the wings she was born with. These, these are just the replacement.

"Still, you've gotta be enjoying every minute out of that morgue. You got my card?" Wildfire questioned. Dawnstar started to remember. A Get Well card. Hand signed. Hand-picked. Filled with sentiment.

"Yes. It was very beautiful. Thanks." Dawnstar smiled.

"No problem."

"Drake, are you…" She trailed off.

"Okay with this? Sure." He casually commented. "What? You think I don't want you to get better?" He asked.

"No. I didn't think you'd be okay with me going off." She replied. "With Garth."

"Like THAT would stop you." He rolled his eyes, or would've if he had eyes.

"You're right. It wouldn't." Dawny smirked. So headstrong, so stubborn. That just made her all the more better as a friend, person, and teammate.

Dawnstar and Lightning Lad, actual name Garth Ranzz, had been injured some weeks ago, in a fight with the Justice League of Earth. Dawnstar's wings had been destroyed by Radiation Roy, and Lightning Lad's metal arm had been eaten by Tusker. After spending two weeks unconscious in the hospital, and when they awoke they learned that their limbs had been re-grown. The shock was worse for Dawnstar, she didn't even know her wings had been gone when she woke up. Before the memories came. An actual part of her cut away. And now, she was forced into a vacation, doing physical therapy on a farm owned by an uncle of Lightning Lad's. Lightning Lad. The loudmouth electricity-wielding Winathian who wore his heart on his sleeve.

"And why would I have a problem with Lightning Lad? He's okay." Wildfire asked. He obviously didn't get what she meant. Or, maybe he did, and he really didn't have a problem with it. That made Dawnstar wonder, and she wondered about why she was making a big deal of this when they WEREN'T a couple. Maybe she was just worried about what Garth could do, or would do. Was he the kind of guy to hit on another girl, when he already had one? But, then there was all that drama with him and Saturn Girl and Cosmic Boy.

But, she did see his kinder side.

Maybe, as she thought in the hospital, it wouldn't be so bad.

…

"PleasepleasepleasepleasePLEAAAASE!!"

Ayla Ranzz clung to her brother's leg so tightly the jaws of life wouldn't have been able to get her off. Garth was struggling to get ready for his departure, packing his stuff, and Ayla was making that a nightmare.

"Ayla you're cutting off the circulation to my leg." He tried to shake her off his bare leg. He was wearing a dark blue tank top and shorts.

"Good! If that means you'll stay!" Ayla yelled.

"You know I can't." He said, trying to sound compassionated to her plight.

"Then take me with you! I won't complain about the work! I won't say anything about your beard! I'll do everything! Pleaaaaase!" She hugged him tighter. She really dug her nails in. Garth winced before he finally managed to pull her off.

"Ayla, my adorable twin sister, stop worrying. You sound like mom." Garth lectured.

"I don't care! You were injured! Out for two weeks! And now you're going off to stay with that creepy uncle of ours." Ayla shuddered at the thought of him having to spend time with uncle Zayth, the oddball of the family who never smiled any time he was with anyone.

"Ayla, Uncle Zayth died."

Ayla blanked.

"What?"

"He died three years ago. I was at the funeral. Sorry." He said, unsure of how to tell his little sister a family member died. He scratched the back of his head. He didn't know why mom and dad never told her. Maybe it just didn't come to mind.

"That's even worse! The place is probably falling apart! And it'll be all gross and smelly and full of broken glass and rats-"

Garth laughed.

"Ayla, I've fought the Fatal Five and traveled in time. Broken glass looks like a trip to Disneyland in comparison."

"You're going to Disneyland too?!"

Garth rolled his eyes.

"And I won't be alone. Kent's there. And Dawnstar's gonna be there too." He gave her that to comfort her.

"The girl with the wings? She's worse than the floozy!" Didn't work. Ayla wouldn't let anyone she didn't approve of near her brother, and that was just about everyone besides Shrinking Violet. Garth didn't really know Dawnstar that well, other than that she had excellent tracking skills and was handy in hand-to-hand combat. She was beautiful too, and rebellious. Defiant. Always finding a path out, and willing to get the bad guys out of the way quick enough. That made her lovelier. But there was one person he really felt about like that. He gave his sister a disapproving look.

"I wish you wouldn't talk about Imra like that. You know how I…"

Garth trailed off. His eyes wandered for a minute as he tried to finish that sentence. How DID he feel now? Imra still wasn't talking, despite a "how're you feeling?" and "good" when they visited. And Rokk still had something of a shiner left. Some right hook he had with the ol' Cybernetic 4000. Ayla eyed him suspiciously.

"How you what?" Her words enacting a spell which pulled him back to the Earthly plane. He shook his head as his thoughts cleared.

"Never mind. You aren't going." That was the final word.

"I'm your twin! I deserve to be there. How do I know this guy's not a quack?" Ayla asked.

"Well I guess that's a risk you're gonna have to take." Garth crossed his arms defiantly.

"But-!" Ayla said, before Garth cut her off.

"How 'bout this. When I get back we'll do something together, you and me. How's that?" He asked with so much brotherly love. He kneeled down to look her in the eye, and smiled with a twinkle of blue hope in his eyes that she would consider.

"…"

"Come on…" He nudged her.

"Fine." She mumbled.

Garth smiled. That was taken care of. Maybe without worrying about Ayla, then this trip wouldn't seem so bad.

If only for a sense of dread he had when they would finally find that degrading house after so long.

…

"So you're sure you've got everything?"

Garth and Dawny stood outside of Legion HQ, bags packed and being greeted off by their friends. It was early morning. The sky was still blue and pink as the sun started to rise. The two already had breakfast. Most of the others yawned.

"Let's see…" Garth started to run off the list. "Clothes, cleaning tools, basic essentials, underwear (optional only)."

"Don't be gross." Dawny told him.

"What?" He smirked innocently. Rokk and Imra rolled their eyes and sighed in exasperation.

"Other then that, all set." Dawny told them.

A blue hovercar pulled up in front of them.

"Hi. You guys ready?"

Inside the car was Richard Kent Shakespeare, normally called Kent, or Impulse. Brown hair and glasses, well-built, wearing that star field shirt and a Legion flight ring. Kent was a Legionnaire who spent most of his time off-planet on Quarantine, an ocean planet home to a hospital which spanned the entire sea floor. Kent was a medical student, mind you.

"Hi!" Said the little girl in the back seat. "Ready?"

Ayla's jaw dropped when she saw the girl, Ivy. About her age, with dark skin and short black hair, save for one stripe which was pure white. She wore white shorts, and a black T-Shirt with a Superman symbol, only the Symbol was written Arthurian style. A red S on black. This was different from the usual blue Legion shirt she wore.

"How come SHE gets to go?!" Ayla yelled, jarring whatever Legionnaires there were out of half-consciousness. Ivy winced.

"Ayla don't yell like that! It's rude." Garth lectured her.

"I had to bring her." Kent said. "I'm working Ivy's case as well."

This was true. Ivy's parents had signed her into Quarantine a while back, for a case Kent wasn't able to talk about. But she didn't have a disease, or anything that could spread. The girl claimed she could talk to plants. And Kent believed her. Her parents wanted to find out WHY, though.

"Ayla, apologize to her right now." Garth told her. Ayla felt bad, she didn't mean to scare her.

"Sorry." She said.

"Sokay." Ivy said.

"So, this is it." Dawny said to Drake.

"Call me when you get there." Drake told her.

"No problem." Dawny said.

"You taking your flight ring?" Drake asked.

"No." Dawny said. "I'm not on duty, remember?"

"It would be foolish to get you to take it, wouldn't it?" Drake sighed.

"Yep."

"Admit it. This is payback for that black eye, isn't it?" Garth asked Rokk. He smirked.

"Get in the car and don't come back until you're able to left Bouncing Boy single-handily with that arm." Rokk ordered.

"That's asking a little much, isn't it?" Garth asked.

"I'm right here, guys." Bouncy sighed. The others laughed, but no with malice. Garth stopped when he saw Imra was avoiding his gaze.

"So, I'll… call you when we get there." He said.

"Yeah." Imra replied. She turned her gaze a little to him. "Be safe." Garth smiled. At least some head way since that incident. He couldn't even remember why he did it. But he was sure Rokk deserved it. Garth turned his attention to his twin.

"Come on, sis."

Garth gave an Ayla a bear hug before they left.

"I'll see you soon." He said. "And don't give them a hard time. (Except Rokk)." He smirked.

"Just get better." Ayla said.

Ayla narrowed her eyes at Dawny, and mouthed something to her.

DON'T EVEN THINK ABOUT IT.

Dawny was somewhat taking aback by the look in the little girl's eyes.

"Bye!" They waved to the moving car.

"We'll try to remember you!" Tinya said.

They looked like the cast of a road trip movie. The hot girl, the jock, the geeky guy, and the little kid tagging along.

Garth was driving, having the directions and not trusting Kent's legendary sense of direction. Kent sat in the passenger seat deciding what music to play and thinking over the exercises Garth and Dawny would be doing. Dawny was sitting in the back with Ivy, the little girl cushioned by her wings and reading some of Kent's comics. Dawny was looking out the window at the sky.

The sun rose.

And somewhere, a crow cawed.

CAW!


End file.
